Before about 18 months ago, I recommended Breyer's ice cream to everyone as "the best", at least as far as what was available in the average US market. It was made with simple ingredients, and had the best texture of any ice cream available. Unlike some "ice creams" that are so far from the real thing that they won't even melt, Breyer's melted in the mouth most delightfully. And it tasted great, too. That's because they didn't add gum, or any of that other crap.

Then one day, I noticed an abrupt change in the taste and texture of Breyer's ice cream. I looked at the ingredients and noticed that they had added gum. I went to their website and noticed that they had also sold their soul to Unilever Corporation, a huge conglomerate with a corporate mission to buy up all the unique brands with good reputations and followings, and turn them into mass-produced crap while wringing out as many bucks as they can until people notice. Now I recommend that people don't buy Breyer's ice cream.

I quickly emailed Breyer's about it, and got a response from Unilever saying they had added gum to improve quality! Cutting through the corp-jargon, I noticed that what they were really saying is that they were trying to boost profits by reducing quality control in their distribution network, and after the ice cream started to melt and refreeze, turning icy, they decided to add gum to cover up the issue. Saying as much in my response, I got back a rather haughty reply saying "At Breyers were proud of our all natural heritage!!" [sic]

I wrote back, noting that it was fitting that she had used the word "heritage" — something they (Unilever) had inherited from the previously great Breyer's Ice Cream company, and which they were proceeding to thoroughly destroy. Do you remember the old Breyer's Ice Cream commercials? They usually featured a young child trying to read the ingredients in a competitor's ice cream. Confronted with phrases like "soy lecithin", "potassium sorbate", and "sodium nitrate", the child struggled. When handed a box of Breyer's ice cream, he was able to quickly and happily read off the ingredients: milk, cream, sugar, and strawberries.

I couldn't find the ones I remember, but I found this one, which is older, but gives the idea:

I included in that same letter a copy of the ingredients list from one of Unilever's new ice creams selling under the Breyer's name:

I asked her if that's something they are proud of. I never got a reply.

UPDATE: Also, under Unilever, Breyer's ice cream contains milk from cows injected with Monsanto's rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone, also called rBST). Injecting cows with rBGH causes deterioration of their health, such that they suffer debilitating diseases, become lame, and often must be euthanized, which is why it's banned in most countries. It's also been linked to cancer, and while it's probably safe to drink milk from hormone-injected cows, most people don't want anything to do with it. But Unilever doesn't mind feeding it to you. Anything to make a buck, right?

UPDATE: It has now gotten to the point where the majority of Breyers' products no longer contain enough milk and cream to be legally considered ice cream. Often they contain more corn syrup than cream (e.g. see the ingredients list above), and if you look closely you'll see that most of their products are now labeled "frozen dairy dessert" or "frozen dessert" instead. Only a few (e.g. vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry) can still be legally called "ice cream". It's pretty sad when Breyer's Ice Cream has degraded to the point where it can't even be legally called "ice cream" anymore.

UPDATE: You can see on YouTube that Breyer's frozen dairy dessert doesn't melt, even after sitting out for days.

OK, if you don't specify an email, it eats the comment. boo hoo. anyways I was saying there's a place called Theno's in Redmond (http://seattle.citysearch.com/profile/10758546/redmond_wa/theno_s_dairy.html) and the reviewer says it is organic/hormone-free/non-homogenized milk, has potential. So if not Breyer's, then what?

And what's with these magically escaped quotes? Seems like my host "upgraded" PHP and broke my site again. It's annoying that PHP can't manage to be backwards compatible... and that my host can't bother to inform me about the breaking change.

I got sucked into a buy one get one free offer and bought some Breyer's ice cream. I just finished eating Breyer's cherry vanilla ice cream. Wow, what a huge disappointment! It doesn't even resemble what it used to be. It now resembles the texture of slightly frozen Cool Whip and is foamy in the mouth! Yuck! I had already told myself i would never by Breyer's again when they reduced the size of the container to 1.5 quarts, and then again when they started adding extra ingredients, but the change in texture has officially done me in. Breyer's used to be the only kind of ice cream I would eat; now I will never eat it again. It sucks now. Too bad.

Thanks for this, We just realized our Breyers has corn syrup, so I was searching the web to see if anyone else noticed. Wow, we didn't know about Unilever buying them out. We definitely won't be eating Breyers anymore. Just when we thought they were trying to be slick by reducing the size to a quart , they changed the ingredients too. What a joke.

I've hated the taste after they put gum in it but I stuck with Breyers because they didn't put corn syrup in... Even when they shrunk the container.
ALL OF THERE ICE CREAM HAVE CORN SYRUP NOW! I DID NOTICE!

There is no difference between Breyers and other brands now. I might as well eat some better tasting brands that have corn syrup in them... But most likely I'll be making my own.

We also used to buy Breyers exclusively, but for a few years now, since the change, only eat home made or Haagen-Dazs on occasion. It still irks me, but at least nobody is making money off us because we refuse to buy this garbage.

I also noticed immediately when they started adding gum to the vanilla, and they really ruined the cherry vanilla. I wrote to them to complain and told that they ruined a classic recipe, they responded that if i'm not satisfied i can get my money back, they totally missed the point! Truly sad..... if they want to make crap they shouldn't call it Breyers. Another real classic american product ruined for a couple bucks, such a waste, it's fraud really!

My wife just bought breyers vanilla. I opened it up and noticed different label, and somewhat different look, and softer than usual. I read the ingredients and was shocked to see corn syrup and guar gum. I went to computer and googled "breyers corn syrup" and landed here. Needless to say, I will not eat breyers any more, i will disreccomend that others do.

Recently found that i was sneezing everytime i ate Bryers ice cream, finally looked at ingredients, did not need to before, i knew it was the purest ice cream, ate it for years and yipes! they added ingredients that i would not normally eat! So Sad!!! Thanks for your great review!
I will now tell all Not to buy Breyers Ice Cream...used to tell everyone how good it was......and I will tell Breyers as well!

Thanks for confirming my suspicions about Breyer's. I wondered why my fudge ripple ice cream tasted so horrible. I remember how great it used to be -- a real premium product. My wife dislikes the Rocky Road now, too. The science experiment they are selling now (I can't call it ice cream -- and neither can they!) has virtually no flavor.

an anonymous Chet

.: throwing mine away too | 2012-07-14 08:01AM :.

I usually buy Edy's and am generally happy with it. Target had Bryer's on sale and I remember how much my dad always loved the 'natural vanilla', when I was a kid. So, I bought two boxes; Neopolitan (which my 4 year old picked) and cookie dough. I also noticed right away how soft it was, then read the box, 'frozen dairy dessert' in small print. It has a very off, almost chemical taste. i'm throwing it away. It would be fun to put it in a ziplock bag and mail it to them. :)

an anonymous Lisa

.: RE: throwing mine away too | 2012-08-06 04:31PM :.

Better be careful. The law prescribes very strict punishments for sending toxic substances through the mail. ;-)

Breyers has been the only brand that we have bought for years. Could walk into store and grab without having to read the ingredient list. A few months back, we noticed corn syrup....even in a couple of the vanilla's. The ingredient list was also longer. What a disappointment! It was the "purest" ice cream a person could buy!!! What used to be a refreshing list of milk, cream, eggs, and sugar, is now a list of garbage!!!! I was unaware of the sell-out to Unilever.... explains it all!!

an anonymous Sharon

.: breyers ice cream no longer natural | 2013-02-03 02:08PM :.

I found this blog when I did a search for breyers ice cream corn syrup. This is so sad. I used to love Breyers Butter Almond flavor. Hadn't had it in a while. My husband brought a container home the other day. Took one taste and knew something was different and not in a good way. Checked the ingredients. Now instead of cream, sugar, butter, almonds there was a list of artificial ingredients. And now corn syrup is the main sweetener instead of sugar. Unilever you just lost my business! I had no idea that Breyers had been sold to them.

Growing up breyers was awesome , reasonable priced all natural , great texture , Superb Butter Almond & Vanilla Bean were among my favorites.
Since appx 2006 since Chemical Conglomerate unilever bought out this classic american brand it had been turned to a noxious slimy chemical cocktail POC.
So gross I returned it to the store after one spoonful . The ingrediants are horrific , Propylene Glycol , High Fructose Corn Syrup , Guar Gum , Carob Gum & a plethora of other garbage unilever probably has left over from their soap divisions. If I get the urge I will check ingrediants & usually go for Haagan Daaz or a local all natural small batch brand. Unilever owns Ben & Jerry's too & that is also slowing turning to sh it . Out of sheer principle to duping the public with this toxic non ice cream 'frozen dairy desert' I am boycotting all unilever brands.

an anonymous So Sad

.: If not Breyers.. Then what? | 2013-03-18 09:06PM :.

Aldens organic ice cream...usually 7.5 a half gallon.
Very good!

an anonymous Bob

.: Breyers quality decline | 2013-08-14 06:05PM :.

Breyers used to be pure, delicious, natural, extremely high quality, sold in large half gallon containers, good when you are well, good when you are sick, soothes your mood and your stomache. This was from period 1970 to 2002. After this point, Breyers is garbage. Do not produce more garbage Unilever. You have destroyed a fine product to chemical slop. Your containers are too small for even a 10 year old to enjoy. Your frozen crap smells funny, looks funny, melts weird, makes me sick, and should NOT be called "ice cream". I used to eat 2 half gallons Breyer per week from Year 1970 to Year 2002. After Year 2002, your recipe change has caused me to NEVER BUY ANOTHER CARTON OF YOUR SLIME AGAIN!!!!!

an anonymous Scorpio

.: Sad | 2013-12-02 08:38PM :.

All I gatta say is: Fuck Breyers!

an anonymous Sad day

.: :P | 2014-01-25 07:13PM :.

Yep, Breyers sucks big time now. I remember the early commercials where they took pride in stating that their ice cream was all natural. Now, they can't even call it ice cream!

an anonymous AnonymousAnnoyed

.: Edy's Has HFC and Carrageenan | 2014-08-10 12:28PM :.

I used to eat Edy's Chocolate and Cherry Chocolate Chip and I really loved it. Recently, I found that not only does Edy's contain high fructose corn syrup but also Carrageenan, an addictive that has been "linked to digestive disease and cancer." http://www.cornucopia.org/carrageenanfda/

I now am back to making my own ice cream and generally don't buy any processed food as these harmful is in many foods.

I was very disappointed at the new tast of Breyers and was flabbergasted when I read the ingredients. So much for sugar, cream & vanilla. How it has corn syrup, canola oil and a bunch of other junk that not only tastes awful, but is genetically modified. I'm disappointed. I will simply stop buying Breyers. No wonder it is so cheap now--tastes it too. Just awful!

Corporations like Unilever are globalists that want to exploit everyone.

an anonymous Anonymous

.: Breyers decline | 2017-02-20 04:31PM :.

Me too... I was duped. A hard craving sent me to the store for some classic Breyers chocolate chip. Man what a disappointment. I also contacted the company to no avail. I told them they lost another customer.

an anonymous James

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